Scientific IlluminismExcerpts from the Founding Documents

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Table of Contents1. “Editorial” from The Equinox I:1.............................22. “Editorial” from The Equinox I:2.............................53. “Postcards to Probationers”.......................................124. “Liber E”, sections I and VII.....................................155. “Liber O”, section I....................................................186. Excerpt from “The Seer”...........................................19

“IN the year 1909 we find the drawing together of the Paths by which Frater P. had been traveling. First (March 21), the conscious personal work of his life was crystallized in the thorough establishment of his system of Scientific Illuminism or Sceptical Theurgy through the publication of Number I of the Equinox...”

–“The Temple of Solomon the King,” Equinox I:9

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“Editorial”from The Equinox I:1

WITH the publication of this REVIEW begins a completely new adventure in the history of mankind. Whatever knowledge may previously have been imputed to men, it has always been fenced in with conditions and restrictions. The time has come to speak plainly, and so far as may be in the language of the multitude.

Thus, the Brothers of the A A announce themselves without miracle or∴ ∴ mystery. It is easy for every charlatan to perform wonders, to bewilder and even to deceive not only fools but all persons, however shrewd, untrained in observation; nor does the trained observed always succeed instantly in detecting the fraud. Again, what the A A propose to do is to enable such men as are capable of advancement to a∴ ∴ higher interpretation of manhood to do so; and the proof of their ability lies in their success, and not in any other irrelevant phenomenon. The argument from miracles is a non sequitur.

Nor is there anything mysterious in the A A ; one must not confuse the∴ ∴ mysterious with the unknown. Some of the contents of this REVIEW may be difficult or impossible to understand at first, but only in the sense that Homer is unintelligible to a person ignorant of Greek.

But the Brothers of the A A make no mystery; They give you not only the∴ ∴ Text, but the Comment; not only the Comment, but the Dictionary, the Grammar, and the Alphabet. It is necessary to be thoroughly grounded in the language before you can appreciate its masterpieces; and if while totally ignorant of the former you despise the latter, you will forgive the more frivolous onlookers if their amusement matches your indignation.

The Brothers of the A A have set their faces against all charlatanism, whether∴ ∴ of miracle-mongering or obscurantism; and all those persons who have sought reputation or wealth by such means may expect ruthless exposure, whether of their vanity or their dishonesty; for by no gentler means can they be taught.

The Brothers of the A A will advise simple experiments, and will describe∴ ∴ them, by the pens of their chosen delegates, in the simplest available language. If you fail to obtain good results, blame either yourself or Their method, as you will; if you succeed, thank either yourself or Them, as you will.

In this first number are published three little books; the first an account of Their character and purpose, restored from the writings of von Eckartshausen; the second an

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ethical essay restored from the Cipher MSS. of the G D (of which MSS. a complete∴ ∴ account will later be given); these two books chiefly for the benefit of those who will understand wrongly or not at all the motto "THE METHOD OF SCIENCE --- THE AIM OF RELIGION," in which (if rightly interpreted) all is expressed; the third a series of scientific experiments, designed to instruct beginners in the groundwork of Scientific Illuminism, and to prevent them from falling into the self-deception which pride always prepares for the unwary.

From time to time further knowledge will be published, as fast as the diligence of the persons employed to write it down will permit.

It is the intention of the Brothers of the A A to establish a laboratory in which∴ ∴ students may be able to carry out such experiments as require too much time and toil to suit with their ordinary life; and Their further plans will be explained fully as opportunity permits.

Any person desirous of entering into the communication with the A A may∴ ∴ do so by addressing a letter to the Chancellor of the Order, at the offices of this paper.

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“Editorial”from The Equinox I:2

IT is four hundred and seventy-seven years since the trouble in the Monastery. There were assembled many holy men from every part of the civilized world, learned doctors, princes of the Church, bishops, abbots, deans, all the wisdom of the world; for the Question was important --- how many teeth were there in a horse's mouth. For many days the debate swung this way and that, as Father was quoted against Father, Gospel against Epistle, Psalm against Proverb; and the summer being hot, and the shade of the monastery gardens pleasant, a young monk wearied of the discussion, and rising presumptuously among those reverend men, impudently proposed that they should examine the mouth of a horse and settle the question.

Now, there was no precedent for so bold a method, and we are not to be surprised that those holy men arose right wrathfully and fell upon the youth and beat him sore.

Having further immured him in a solitary cell, they resumed debate; but ultimately "in the grievous dearth of theological and historical opinion" declared the problem insoluble, an everlasting mystery by the Will of God.

To-day, their successors adopt the same principles with regard to that darkest of horses, the A A They have not only refused to open our mouths, but have even∴ ∴ refused to look into them when we ourselves have gone to the length of opening them wide before them.

However, there have been others. Whether we were too confident or they too easily discouraged is a question unnecessary to discuss. We hoped to sever at one blow their bonds; at least we should have loosened them. But their struggle, which should have aided our efforts, seemed to them too arduous. They have been perplexed rather than illumined by the light which we flashed upon them; and even if it showed a road, gave no sufficient reason why it should be followed.

Of such we humbly crave the pardon; and in answer to a seemingly widespread desire to know if we mean anything, and if so, What? we request those who would know the Truth of Scientific Illuminism to look into the open mouth of its doctrine, to follow its simple teachings step by step and not to turn their backs on it and, walking in the opposite direction, declare so simple a problem to be an everlasting mystery.

We are therefore not concerned with those who have not examined our doctrine of sceptical Theurgy, or scientific illuminism, or that which lies beyond. Let them

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examine without prejudice.

Some, too, have raised weapons against us, thinking to hurt us. But malice is only the result of ignorance; let them examine us, and they will love us. The sword is not yet forged that can divide him whose helmet is Truth. Nor is the arrow yet fledged that will pierce the flesh of one who is clothed in the glittering armour of mirth. So here, and now, and with us; he who climbs the Mountain we point out to him, and which we have climbed; he who journeys by the chart we offer to him, and which we have followed, on his return will come in unto us as one who has authority; for he alone who has climbed the summit can speak with truth of those things that from there are to be seen, for HE KNOWS. But he who stands afar off, and jests, saying: "It is not a Mountain, it is a cloud; it is not a cloud, it is a shadow; it is not a shadow, it is an illusion; it is not an illusion, it is indeed nothing at all!" --- who but a fool will heed him? for not having journeyed one step, HE KNOWS NOT concerning those things of which he speaks.

To make ourselves now utterly plain to all such as have misunderstood us, we will formulate our statement in many ways, so that at least there may be found one acceptable to each seeker who is open to conviction.

I

1. We perceive in the sensible world, Sorrow. Ultimately that is; we admit the Existence of a Problem requiring solution.

2. We accept the proofs of Hume, Kant, Herbert Spencer, Fuller, and others of this thesis:The Ratiocinative Faculty or Reason of Man contains in its essential nature an element of self-contradiction.

3. Following on this, we say:

If any resolution there be of these two problems, the Vanity of Life and the Vanity of Thought, it must be in the attainment of a Consciousness which transcends both of them. Let us call this supernormal consciousness, or, for want of a better name, "Spiritual Experience."

4. Faith has been proposed as a remedy. But we perceive many incompatible forms of Faith founded on Authority --- The Vedas, The Quran, The Bible; Buddha, Christ, Joseph Smith. To choose between the we must resort to reason, already shown to be a fallacious guide.

5. There is only one Rock which Scepticism cannot shake; the Rock of Experience.

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6. We have therefore endeavoured to eliminate from the conditions of acquiring Spiritual Experience its dogmatic, theological, accidental, climatic and other inessential elements.

7. We require the employment of a strictly scientific method. The mind of the seeker must be unbiased: all prejudice and other sources of error must be perceived as such and extirpated.

8. We have therefore devised a Syncretic-Eclectic Method combining the essentials of all methods, rejecting all their trammels, to attack the Problem, through exact experiments and not by guesses.

9. For each pupil we recommend a different method (in detail) suited to his needs; just as a physician prescribes the medicine proper to each particular patient.

10.We further believe that the Consummation of Spiritual Experience is reflected into the spheres of intellect and action as Genius, so that by taking an ordinary man we can by training produce a Master.

11.This thesis requires proof: we hope to supply such proof by producing Genius to order.

II

1. There is no hope in physical life, since death of the individual, the race, and ultimately the planet, ends all.

2. There is no hope in reason, since it contradicts itself, and is in any case no more than a reflection upon the facts of physical life.

3. What hope there may be in Investigation of the physical facts of Nature on Scientific lines is already actively sought after by a powerful and well-organized body of men of perfect probity and high capacity.

4. There is no hope in Faith, for there are many warring Faiths, all equally positive.

5. The adepts of Spiritual Experience promise us wonderful things, the Perception of Truth, and the Conquest of Sorrow, and there is enough unity in their method to make an Eclectic System possible.

6. We are determined to investigate this matter most thoroughly on Scientific lines.

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III

1. We are Mystics, ever eagerly seeking a solution of unpleasant facts.

2. We are Men of Science, ever eagerly acquiring pertinent facts.

3. We are Sceptics, ever eagerly examining those facts.

4. We are Philosophers, ever eagerly classifying and co-ordinating those well-criticised facts.

5. We are Epicureans, ever eagerly enjoying the unification of those facts.

6. We are Philanthropists, ever eagerly transmitting our knowledge of those facts to others.

7. Further, we are Syncretists, taking truth from all systems, ancient and modern; and Eclectics, ruthlessly discarding the inessential factors in any one system, however perfect.

IV

1. Faith, Life, Philosophy have failed.

2. Science is already established.

3. Mysticism, being based on pure experience, is always a vital force; but owing to the lack of trained observation, has always been a mass of error. Spiritual Experience, interpreted in the terms of Intellect, is distorted; just as sunrise shows the grass green and the sea blue. Both were invisible until sunrise; yet the diversity of colour is not in the sun, but in the objects on which its light falls, and their contradiction does not prove the sun to be an illusion.

4. We shall correct Mysticism (or Illuminism) by Science, and explain Science by Illuminism.

V

1. We have one method, that of Science.

2. We have one aim, that of Religion.

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VI

There was once an Inhabitant in a land called Utopia who complained to the Water Company that his water was impure.

"No," answered the Water Man, "it can't be impure, for we filter it."

"Oh indeed!" replied the Inhabitant, "but my wife died from drinking it."

"No," said the Water Man; "I assure you that this water comes from the purest springs in Utopia; further, that water, however impure, cannot hurt anybody; further, that I have a certificate of its purity from the Water Company itself."

"The people who pay you!" sneered the Inhabitant. "For your other points, Haeckel has proved that all water is poison, and I believe you get your water from a cesspool. Why, look at it!"

"And beautiful clear water it is!" said the Water Man. "Limpid as crystal. Worth a guinea a drop!"

"About what you charge for it!" retorted the incensed Inhabitant. "It looks fairly clear, I admit, in the twilight. But that is not the point. A poison need not cloud water."

"But," urged the other, "one of our directors is a prophet, and he prophesied --- clearly, in so many words --- that the water would be pure this year. And besides, our first founder was a holy man, who performed a special miracle to make it pure for ever!"

"Your evidence is as tainted as your water," replied the now infuriated householder.

So off they went to the Judge.

The Judge heard the case carefully. "My good friends!" said he, "you've neither of you got a leg to stand on; for in all you say there is not one grain of proof. --- The case is dismissed."

The Water Inspector rose jubilant, when from the body of the Court came a still small voice.

"Might I respectfully suggest, your Worship, that the water in question be examined through my Microscope?"

"What in thunder is a Microscope?" cried the three in chorus.

"An instrument, your Worship, that I have constructed on the admitted principles of optics, to demonstrate by experience what these gentlemen are arguing about "a priori" and on hearsay."

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Then they both rose up against him, and cursed him.

"Unscientific balderdash!" said the Water Man, for the first time speaking respectfully of Science.

"Blasphemous Nonsense!" said the Inhabitant, for the first time speaking respectfully of Religion.

"Wait and see," said the Judge; for he was a just Judge.

Then the Man with the Microscope explained the uses of this new and strange instrument. And the Judge patiently investigated all sources of error, and concluded in the end that the instrument was a true revealer of the secrets of the water. And he pronounced just judgment.

But the others were blinded by passion and self-interest. They only quarrelled more noisily, and were finally turned out of court. But the Judge caused the Man with the Microscope to be appointed Government Analyst at £12,000 a year.

Now the Water Man is the Believer, and the Inhabitant the Unbeliever. The Judge is the Agnostic --- in Huxley's sense of the word; and the Man with the Microscope is the Scientific Illuminist.

Curious as it may seem, all this was most carefully explained in No. 1 of this Review, in Mr. Frank Harris's "The Magic Glasses."

Mr. 'Allett is the Materialist, Canon Bayton the Idealist, the Judge's daughter is the Agnostic, and Matthew Penry the Scientific Illuminist. If the little girl had been able to "follow up the light," she might there have seen Penry standing, his head and his feet white like wool, and his eyes a flaming fire!

This, then, in one language or another, is our philosophical position. But for those who are not content with this, let it be said that there is something more behind and beyond. Among us are those who have experienced things of a nature so exalted that no words ever penned could even adumbrate them faintly. The communication of such knowledge, so far as it is at all possible, must be a personal thing; and we offer it with both hands.

It is simple to write to the Chancellor of the A A at the care of the∴ ∴ publishers, 23 Paternoster Row, E.C.; a neophyte of the Order will be detailed to meet the inquirer. He will read to him the History of the Order and explain the task of the Probationer. For we give to each inquirer a year's study; mutual, so that he may decide whether we can indeed give that which he wishes, and so that we may know exactly what training is suitable for him.

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Also because we are subtle of mind, many are offended. For we wished to test the world by the touchstone of THE EQUINOX. Those who perceived the essential gold that lay hidden in that hard rock are now busy delving out the same; many are thereby become rich.

So I who write this for the Brethren, with all humility and awe, do seriously summon all men unto the Search, even those who are offended because I laugh, gazing into the Eyes of the Beloved; and those who are offended because I hate the veil of words that hides the face of the Beloved; and those who are offended because my passion for the Beloved is too virile and eager to suit their awe; perhaps they forget that passion means suffering.

But let them know that my Beloved is mine and I am his; he feedeth among the lilies.

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“Postcards to Probationers”from The Equinox I:2

THEOREMS

I. The world progresses by virtue of the appearance of Christs (geniuses).

II. Christs (geniuses) are men with super-consciousness of the highest order.

III. Super-consciousness of the highest order is obtainable by known methods.

Therefore, by employing the quintessence of known methodswe cause the world to progress.

ESSENTIALS OF METHOD

I. Theology is immaterial; for both Buddha and St. Ignatius were Christs.

II. Morality is immaterial; for both Socrates and Mohammed were Christs.

III. Super-consciousness is a natural phenomenon; its conditions are therefore to be sought rather in the acts than the words of those who attain it.

The essential acts are retirement and concentration ---as taught by Yoga and Ceremonial Magic.

MISTAKES OF MYSTICS

I. Since truth is supra-rational, it is incommunicable in the language of reason.

II. Hence all mystics have written nonsense,and what sense they have written is so far untrue.

III. Yet as a still lake yields a truer reflection of the sun than a torrent,he whose mind is best balanced will, if he become a mystic, become the best mystic.

THE METHOD OF EQUILIBRIUM

I. THE PASSIONS, ETC.

I. Since the ultimate truth of teleology is unknown, all codes of morality are arbitrary.

II. Therefore the student has no concern with ethics as such.

III. He is consequently free 'to do his duty in that state of life to which it has pleased

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God to call him.'

II. THE REASON

I. Since truth is supra-rational, any rational statement is false.

II. Let the student than contradict every proposition that presents itself to him.

III. Rational ideas being thus expelled from the mind, there is room for the apprehension of spiritual truth.

It should be remarked that this does notdestroy the validity of reasonings on their own plane.

III. THE SPIRITUAL SENSORIUM

I. Man being a finite being, he is incapable of apprehending the infinite. Nor does his communion with infinite being (true or false) alter this fact.

II. Let then the student contradict every vision and refuse to enjoy it; first, because there is certainly another vision possible of precisely contradictory nature; secondly, because

though he is God, he is also a man upon an insignificant planet.

Being thus equilibrated laterally and vertically, it may be that, either by affirmation or denial of all these things together, he may attain the supreme trance.

IV. THE RESULT

I. Trance is defined as the ek-stasis of one particular tract of the brain,caused by meditation on the idea corresponding to it.

II. Let the student therefore beware lest in that idea be any trace of imperfection.It should be pure, balanced, calm, complete,

fitted in every way to dominate the mind, as it will.

Even as in the choice of a king to be crowned.

III. So will the decrees of this king be just and wise as he was just and wise before he was made king.

The life and work of the mystic will reflect (though dimly) the supreme guiding force of the mystic, the highest trance to which he has attained.

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YOGA AND MAGIC

I. Yoga is the art of uniting the mind to a single idea. It has four methods.

Gnana-Yoga. Union by Knowledge.

Raja-Yoga. Union by Will.

Bhakta-Yoga. Union by Love.

Hatha-Yoga. Union by Courage.

add Mantra-Yoga. Union through Speech.

Karma-Yoga. Union through Work.

These are united by the supreme method of Silence.

II. Ceremonial Magic is the art of uniting the mind to a single idea.

It has four Methods.

The Holy Qabalah.Union by

Knowledge.

The Sacred Magic. Union by Will.

The Acts of Worship.

Union by Love.

The Ordeals. Union by Courage.

add The Invocations. Union by Speech.

The Acts of Service. Union through Work.

These are united by the supreme method of Silence.

III. If this idea be any but the Supreme and Perfect idea, and the student lose control, the result is insanity, obsession, fanaticism, or paralysis and death (add addiction to

gossip and incurable idleness), according to the nature of the failure.

Let then the Student understand all these things and combine them in his Art,uniting them by the supreme method of Silence.

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“Liber E”, Sections I & VIIfrom The Equinox I:1

I

1. It is absolutely necessary that all experiments should be recorded in detail during, or immediately after, their performance.

2. It is highly important to note the physical and mental condition of the experimenter or experimenters.

3. The time and place of all experiments must be noted; also the state of the weather, and generally all conditions which might conceivably have any result upon the experiment either as adjuvants to or causes of the result, or as inhibiting it, or as sources of error.

4. The A A will not take official notice of any experiments which are not thus∴ ∴ properly recorded.

5. It is not necessary at this stage for us to declare fully the ultimate end of our researches; nor indeed would it be understood by those who have not become proficient in these elementary courses.

6. The experimenter is encouraged to use his own intelligence, and not to rely upon any other person or persons, however distinguished, even among ourselves.

7. The written record should be intelligibly prepared so that others may benefit from its study.

8. The book John St. John published in this first number of the "Equinox" is an example of this kind of record by a very advanced student. It is not as simply written as we could wish, but will shew the method.

9. The more scientific the record is, the better.

Yet the emotions should be noted, as being some of the conditions.

Let then the record be written with sincerity and care, and with practice it will be found more and more to approximate to the ideal.

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VII

A Course of Reading

1. The object of most of the foregoing practices [Sections II-VI] will not at first be clear to you; but at least (who will deny it?) they will have trained you in determination, accuracy, introspection, and many other qualities which are valuable to all men in their ordinary avocations, so that in no case will your time have been wasted.

2. That you may gain some insight into the nature of the Great Work which lies beyond these elementary trifles, however, we should mention that an intelligent person may gather more than a hint of its nature from the following books, which are to be taken as serious and learned contributions to the study of nature, though not necessarily to be implicitly relied upon.

“The Yi King” [S.B.E. Series, Oxford University Press].

“The Tao Teh King” [S.B.E. Series].

“Tannhäuser” by A. Crowley.

“The Upanishads.”

“The Bhagavad-Gita.”

“The Voice of the Silence.”

“Raja Yoga” by Swami Vivekananda.

“The Shiva Sanhita.”

“The Aphorisms of Patanjali.”

“The Sword of Song.” [by A. Crowley]

“The Book of the Dead.”

“Rituel et Dogme de la Haute Magie.” [a.k.a. “Transcendental Magic” by Levi]

“The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage.”

“The Goetia.”

“The Hathayoga Pradipika.”

Erdmann's “History of Philosophy.” “The Spiritual Guide of Molinos.”

“The Star in the West” (Captain Fuller).

“The Dhammapada” [S.B.E. Series, Oxford University Press].

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“The Questions of King Milinda” [S.B.E. Series].

“777. vel Prolegomena, & c.” [by A. Crowley]

“Varieties of Religious Experience” (James).

“Kabbala Denudata.”

“Konx Om Pax.” [by A. Crowley]

3. Careful study of these books will enable the pupil to speak in the language of his master and facilitate communication with him.

4. The pupil should endeavour to discover the fundamental harmony of these very varied works; for this purpose he will find it best to study the most extreme divergences side by side.

5. He may at any time that he wishes apply for examination in this course of reading.

6. During the whole of this elementary study and practice, he will do wisely to seek out, and attach himself to, a master, one competent to correct him and advise him. Nor should he be discouraged by the difficulty of finding such a person.

7. Let him further remember that he must in no wise rely upon, or believe in, that master. He must rely entirely upon himself, and credit nothing whatever but that which lies within his own knowledge and experience.

8. As in the beginning, so at the end, we here insist upon the vital importance of the written record as the only possible check upon error derived from the various qualities of the experimenter.

9. Thus let the work be accomplished duly; yea, let it be accomplished duly.

[If any really important or remarkable results should occur, or if any great difficulty presents itself, the A A should be at once informed of the∴ ∴ circumstances.]

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“Liber O”, Section Ifrom The Equinox I:2

I

1. This book is very easy to misunderstand; readers are asked to use the most minute critical care in the study of it, even as we have done in its preparation.

2. In this book it is spoken of the Sephiroth and the Paths; of Spirits and Conjurations; of Gods, Spheres, Planes, and many other things which may or may not exist.

It is immaterial whether these exist or not. By doing certain things certain results will follow; students are most earnestly warned against attributing objective reality or philosophic validity to any of them.

3. The advantages to be gained from them are chiefly these:

(a) A widening of the horizon of the mind.

(b) An improvement of the control of the mind.

4. The student, if he attains any success in the following practices, will find himself confronted by things (ideas or beings) too glorious or too dreadful to be described. It is essential that he remain the master of all that he beholds, hears or conceives; otherwise he will be the slave of illusion, and the prey of madness.

Before entering upon any of these practices, the student should be in good health, and have attained a fair mastery of Asana, Pranayama and Dharana.

5. There is little danger that any student, however idle or stupid, will fail to get some result; but there is great danger that he will be led astray, obsessed and overwhelmed by his results, even though it be by those which it is necessary that he should attain. Too often, moreover, he mistaketh the first resting-place for the goal, and taketh off his armour as if he were a victor ere the fight is well begun.

It is desirable that the student should never attach to any result the importance which it at first seems to possess.

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Excerpt from “The Seer”from “Temple of Solomon the King” in The Equinox I:2

Something is! --- Call it Existence.

What exists?

"I exist!" answers the Idealist, "I and I alone!"

"Oh no, you do not!" cries the Materialist, "you certainly do exist; but not alone, for I am talking to you!"

"Fool!" says the Idealist, "cannot you grasp the simple idea that you and your foolish argument are in fact part of me?"

"But surely," replies the Materialist, "you do not doubt that the world exists, that the Evolution of Man exists, that Judas McCabbage exists and is an actual fact.

"Granted they do exist," sighs the Idealist, "so do the reflections of an ape's face in a looking-glass, yes, they do exist, but not apart from my own mind."

"Yet the world of a blind man," says the Mystic, "is a very different place to the world a deaf man lives in, and both these worlds vary considerably from the world normally constituted man inhabits. Likewise animals, whose sense-organs vary from ours, live in altogether a different world from us. To give an eyeless worm eyes is only comparable to endowing us with a sixth sense. The world to us therefore depends wholly upon the development of our senses; and as they grow and decay so does the world with them, how much more then does the world of those who have out stepped the prison-house of their senses differ from the world of those who have outstepped the prison-house of their senses differ from the world of those who still lie bound therein. It is possible to conceive of a child being born blind (in a race of blind people) obtaining the use of its eyes when an old man, and thereupon entering a new world; why, therefore, should it be impossible to conceive of a man with all his senses perfect obtaining another sense or entering into another dimension.1

The blind man, if a few minutes after he had obtained possession of his sight were suddenly to return to a state of blindness, would have great difficulty in explaining to his blind brothers the sights he had seen, in fact none would believe him, and his difficulty in explaining in the language of blind-land the wonders of the land of sight would probably be so great that he would find more consolation in silence than in an

1 Whatever is intelligible and can be distinctly conceived implies no contradiction, and can never be proved false by any demonstration, argument, or abstract reasoning "a priori." --- Hume, iv., p. 44.

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attempted explanation: this has generally been the case with the true adepts; and those who have tried to explain themselves have been called mad by the "canaille."

"The truth is," continues the Mystic, "both of you have been talking foolishness through your material and idealistic hats. For:

"In the Material World Matter is Existence.

"In the Sensible World Sense is Existence.

"In the Spiritual World Spirit is Existence.

"And though in the Sensible World a cow or an angel exists solely as an idea to us, this does not preclude the possibility of a cow existing as beef in the Material World, or an angel as a spirit in the Spiritual World."

"The fact is," interrupts the Sceptic, "I doubt all three of you; for from the above you all three infer a chain of events --- whether material, sensual, or spiritual, thus postulating the Existence of Causality as a common property of these three worlds. Let us strike out Matter, Sense and Spirit, and what is left? Surely not Time and Space, that twin inference conceived by that Matter, Sense and Spirit we have just put to bed."

"Don't you think," says the Scientific Illuminist, "that instead of dreaming all your lives it would be a good thing to wake up and do a little work? There are four of you, and the Kerubim of Ezekiel might perhaps engage your individual attention."

The truth is, it does not matter one rap by what name you christen the illusions of this life, call them substance, or ideas, or hallucinations, it makes not the slightest difference, for you are in them and they in you whatever you like to call them, and you must get out of them and they out of you, and the less you consider their names the better; for name-changing only creates unnecessary confusion and is a waste of time.

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